Actions of a Shadow
by Kiki O'Loplop
Summary: Dark Link sits in his hole, waiting while Ganondorf tortures Link in an attempt to get him to surrender the Triforce of Courage.


I sit in my dark hole, contemplating. The whole world will soon be at my disposal, through **Him**, of course. All I have to do is wait patiently.

So I sit. And think.

I think about all that I will do. Or rather all that I won't do. My entire existence has revolved around serving **Him**. When **He** completes **His** goal, what will I do then? What will I be good for? Will **He** keep **His** promises, as I know **He** never does? Will **He** toss me aside like some ragged old doll? I won't enjoy the world the way anyone else would anyway. I can't. I hate leaving my hole, to do **His** bidding. I hate all other creatures. I hate the sunlight and growing things. I hate death and rotting things. So I stay in my hole as much as possible. But I don't like it here. In fact, I hate it here too.

Yet still I sit. And watch.

Guards prance around in the halls outside my hole. They think I cannot see them, but I see all that passes in the dark. They feel important and dignified. They're no better than the thugs I see elsewhere, beating the shit out of some miserable excuse for a human being. I stretch my mind's eye further. The bar, where the thugs are, is full of other miserable people, drinking the last days of their lives away. I seek further, looking at the people of the town. They're all miserable, pathetic creatures.

Still, I sit. And scratch.

My arms itch. They burn. So do my legs. And my face. It's as though I am on fire, but I know I am not. I am safe, in my darkness. But somehow, the pain is still reaching me here. It's been getting worse. Somewhere deep inside me, I know it will kill me if I don't do something. But I can't, I can't go against **His** will.

So I continue to sit. And listen.

Down the passageway, I can here him scream. He's been screaming for a long time now. It would end if he'd only give up. I could stop waiting, if he would only surrender. The guards are still in the hallway, seemingly stomping around as loud as possible. Past this noise, I can hear other creatures, smaller dirtier creatures, running through the walls. They do not run through my walls though. They have learned to stay away from me, the one who broods.

Again, I hear him scream. It's louder now, more pained. The burning in my face gets worse. That place, deep down inside of me, the place where I still care for other living beings, is screaming for it to stop. Yet it screams in defiance, like it's been given a choice and has stubbornly chosen death. I listen to it for a bit, prodding a part of me I have always loathed. Suddenly, it seems to become aware that I am listening.

_Zelda? Is that you? Oh for Nayru's sake, if you're close enough to hear me, he'll catch you. You have to get out! Forget me, save as many as you can. Go!_

I don't answer.

_Zelda?_

I know what it is I'm listening to. I hear him scream again, both from down the hall and from inside of me. His voice seems to echo around the emptiness. Again, the pain gets worse.

I remember, a day long ago, when I was first created. I had heard this voice, muffled deep down. I had thought it was my conscience. **He** told me to ignore it, to bury it. It would lead me astray and disappoint **Him**. I did as I was told.

Now, all these years later, I hear it, as it begs for death. **He** told me not to listen to it, not to do what it said. It tells me to kill it. I know if it dies, I will die. And for some reason, even though I have nothing to live for, I'm not ready to die.

So I get up. And leave my hole.

The guards press themselves against the wall as I glide past. I can hear their armor clinking together as they shake with fear. I move through the passages without really seeing where I'm going. I know the way by heart. As I get closer, the screaming gets louder, until it seems to drown out everything else.

I'm at the door. I push it open and enter the room. I can't help but notice as I step forward that **He** is a master of **His** art. Despite how horrific it sounds, there is no blood, no apparent bodily damage. He wreathes on the floor in pain, still screaming.

In one deft move, I am on him, whisking us both away into the shadows. I hear **Him** yell in rage and confusion, which quickly turns into a high-pitched scream of surprise and terror.

Together, we tumble onto squishy, pink carpet. Touching him makes my skin crawl, but at least it's not burning anymore. I disentangle myself from him and stand up. The moonlight is weakly shining through an unnecessarily large window. The rest of the room is lit by pallor torchlight. In front of me stands none other than Princess Zelda. It was she that screamed.

Even before I can open my mouth, to say what, I don't know, a dozen or so human guards try to push their way into her room. But at the sight of me, the color drains from their face and all of them begin backpedalling, crushing each other in the process. If I hadn't just broken the first rule of my existence, disobeying **His** will, I'd laugh. But this is serious.

I turn back to the Princess and point at his crumpled form. "Save him," I command, in my unearthly voice. She doesn't move. I step forward and grab her arm, yanking her down to the ground next to him. His breathing is ragged. "_Save him._" She just stares blankly back at me. The terror is giving way to confusion, I can see it on her face.

"OH SHIT!" someone behind me yells. I hear the creak of a bow. They're standing too close to me. I simply stand and twist, knocking the bow sideways as the arrows flies, imbedding itself somewhere in the ceiling. The old man scrabbling backwards from me is obviously a general, the only one brave enough to try to attack me. I raise my hand, gathering the darkness in the room towards me and start forming a sword. It's second nature, I do it without thinking.

"W-wait!" Zelda stammers behind me. I stop. So do the old man and the guards. I turn back to look at her. She's still crouched on the ground by his side. I notice she hasn't helped him at all yet. "I don't understand."

"You don't have to," I reply. My skin has begun itching again, but for a different reason. **He** is calling me back. I can feel **His** anger from here. "Save him," I repeat for the last time. I gather the shadows again and disappear.

I'm back in the bloodless room. **He** is there. I leap upon **Him** with my sword drawn. My life suddenly has a purpose. The deep part of me that I loathed has taken complete control. Everything I learned, to kill my other half, I now use against my creator. I wound **Him**, badly. **He** will never recover from it. As **He** destroys me, I know I have done enough. Link will heal and finish what I started.

I diminish into shadow. And am nothing.


End file.
